Silent urinal



SILENT URINAL Filed March 9, 1949 FIG.I.

IN V EN TOR.

WILLIAM B. PAINTER BY ATTORNEYS tion.

Patented July 31, I951 UNITED STATES PATENT-crews SILENT William Bernard Paintenzljetroit, Mich. 1 Application March 9, 1949,.Serial N 0. 80,493

The present invention relates to a silent urinal.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a silent urinal device for toilet seats comprising a tray operable to prevent splashing and to cause urine to be poured quietly into the front portion of the toilet bowl.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an attachment for a toilet seat movable from operable position to a concealed position beneath the material of the toilet seat.

It is a further object of the present invention 'to provide a device of the character described comprising a resiliently supported tray forwardly and downwardly inclined and having a front pouring edge.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the class described for vertically displaceable movement in operative position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tray mounted for movement to concealed position including means for swinging the tray into horizontal position as it is moved to concealed position.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a toilet seat with the invention applied partly in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on the line i--2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the construction of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 Figure 1, illustrating yet another modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a toilet seat ill, the under surface of which is recessed as indicated "at 12 and [3 to provide space for receiving the tray and actuating mechanism when in inoperative position.

A tray M which may conveniently be formed of sheet metal and which is provided with .a rear upstanding flange l5 and upstanding flanges i6 and IT at the sides thereof, is pivotally .supported by a pivot pin IE to a bracket l9 carried at the free end of a resilient supporting .arm '20. Arm 20 is resilient and permits downward defiection of the tray while it is inoperative posi- The forward endof the tray '2] is not '11 Claims. (c1. 4-139) provided with an upstanding flange and constitutes a pouring lip. Preferably the floor or bottomfof the tray is'longitudinally corrugated as indicated at 22.

The resilient supporting arm is pivoted to the underside of the seat by a pivot pin 24 which connects it :to an L-shaped bracket .25. A spring 26 is provided normally biasing the arm a clockwise direction as seen inFigure 1 so as to urge the tray andassembled mechanism into a concealed position within the recess 12 "provided at the under side of the seat.

Means'are provided for swinging the arm .20 and tray 14 outwardly to the. operative position shown in Figure v1. vThis mechanismmay constitute aBowden wire 28 connected at one end to the arm 20 and having an actuating ,finger piece 29 at the otherend by means of which the tray may. be swung to operative position.

Conveniently, the .Bowden wire may include a finger 30 movable in a slot provided adjacent thereto so that when thefinger piece is pulled outwardly to swing the tray to operative position, the parts may be locked in operative position by rotating the finger 30 out of alignment with the operative position illustrated in Figure 2 itlwill :be observed that the tray I4 is downwardly and forwardly inclined. However, for the :best utilization of space it is preferred to have the tray horizontal when it is moved to the inoperative or concealed position indicated by dotted .lines Figure 1. It is for this purpose that the tray liis provided with a pivot connection at the free end of the resilient arm .20. Means are provided which operate automatically toswingthe tray into horizontal position as the 28 is swung about avertical axis to position "the'trayin inoperative Tor concealed position. The specific 'mechanism ior this purpose may take any one of several forms which are illustrated herein. In the modification illustrated in Figures 1 and .2 a link .32 is provided which ispivoted by .abracket 33 to the under side of the 1 8831;. The axis of the pivot connection 34 ;is:spaced somewhat from the pivot pin .24., as

:is best seen in Figure 1. The inner end 3.5 of the link 32 is bent and enters an elongated slot 3.6 provided in the side wall I! of the tray. 'In the position shown in Figure 2, downwardly swingin movement of the tray I4 .is limited by engagement of the. link 32 with the upper sur- Jface of the arm 2.0, these parts being in .overtapping relation;as. is clearly. illustrated in .Figure .1. 1 gtlhe length' -oi. the slot 86 is 7 Such that as the arm 20 swings in clockwise direction as seen in Figure 1, the end 35 of the link first moves to the end of the slot 36 away from the pivot connection I8. Further movement of the arm exerts tension on the end of the slot and tends to move the tray l4 into horizontal position.

Instead of employing a straight link as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a link 40 may be provided, the remaining parts of the structure all being as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The link 40 has an intermediate reversely bent portion 4| and is composed of two legs 42 and 43 angularly disposed with respect to each other. The advantage of this type of link is that the end 35 of the link is thus adapted to exert a resilient yielding pressure on the end of the slot36 as the tray is swung into inoperative position.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is a somewhat modified construction which differs from that shown in Figures 1 and 2 only in that the side -wall I! of the tray I4 is provided with an inclined .slot 45, the inclination of the slot being such that :as the headed end 35 of the link 32 move to the end of the slot 45 away from the pivot pin l8, the tray is caused to assume a horizontal posixtion. Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 5 which shows a bracket 50 secured to the under side of the recess l2, in the location indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. The bracket is provided with an inclined camming arm 5| which is adapted to engage the link 32 as the structure approaches limiting concealed position in the recess. The provision of the camining arm 5| serves to elevate the link 32 mechanically and thus to elevate the tray to horizontal position.

Preferably the upper wall of the recess 12 is inclined so that the tray moves into wedging engagement therewith as it approaches concealed position.

It will be observed from Figure 1 that there is thus provided a structure which is adapted to be completely concealed when in inoperativeposition and yet which is readily moved to operative: position by a simple movement of the operating finger piece 29. Moreover, mechanism is provided so that as the tray is swung horizontally between operative and inoperative positions it is also caused to rock about a horizontal axis soas to assume a forwardly and downwardly inclined position when in operative position and a horizontal position when concealed in the recess I2. Obviously, the tray may be designed to incline rearwardly or toward either side and to thus pour toward the rear or either side as desired. 4

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved silent urnial in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a pouring edge, support means for supporting the tray in a toilet bowl just below the level of the seat and in registry with the opening in the seat, said tray being downwardly inclined toward said pouring edge, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat for transverse swinging movement about a vertical axis, and said tray being carried by said arm and movable upon pivoted move- 4 ment of said arm between an operative position and a concealed position directly beneath the seat.

2. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a pouring edge, support means for supporting the tray in a toilet bowl just below the level of the seat and in registry with the opening in the seat, said tray being downwardly inclined toward said pouring edge, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, the free end of said arm being attached in supporting relationship to said tray, said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray.

' 3. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a pouring edge, support means for supporting the tray in a toilet bowl just below the level of the seat and in registry with the opening in the seat, said tray being downwardly inclined toward said pouring edge, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and means operable upon swinging of said arm to operative position to cause said tray to move to inclined position, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm is swung to inoperative position.

4. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and means operable upon swinging of said arm to operative position to cause said tray to incline downwardly and forwardly, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm is swung to inoperative position.

5. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and means operable upon swinging of said arm to operative position to cause said tray to incline downwardly and forwardly, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm is swung to inoperative position, said last means comprising a link pivoted to the toilet seat and having its free end received in a slot in a side of said tray.

6. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and means operable upon swinging of said arm to operative position to cause said tray to incline downwardly and forwardly, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm is swung to inoperative position, said last means comprising a link pivoted to the toilet seat and having its free end received in a slot in a side of said tray, said link being resiliently extensible to resiliently urge said tray to horizontal position as it approaches its concealed position.

7. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and means operable upon swinging of said arm to operative position to cause said tray to incline downwardly and forwardly, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm is swung to inoperative position, said last means comprising a link pivoted to the toilet seat and having its free end received in a slot in a side of said tray, and camming means for raising said link as the tray approaches concealed position.

8. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, and said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, said tray being pivotally secured to the movable end of said arm about a horizontal axis, and

means operable upon swinging of said arm to op- 7 2,154,259

erative position to cause said tray to incline downwardly and forwardly, and to swing said tray to horizontal position as said arm i swung to inoperative position, said last means comprising a link pivoted to the toilet seat and having its free end received in a slot in a side of said tray, said slot being inclined to effect swinging of said tray as aforesaid.

9. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacementof the tray in use, said arm being pivoted at one end to the toilet seat, the free end of said arm being attached in supporting relationship to said tray, said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said at in between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, resilient means normally retaining said tray in concealed position, and an operator connected thereto for swingin said tray to operative position.

10. An article of the character described comprising a tray having a front pouring edge, support means for supporting said tray in downwardly and forwardly inclined position in a toilet bowl just below the seat and adjacent the front portion of the bowl, said support means comprising a yieldable arm providing for downward displacement of the tra in use, said arm beingpivoted at one end to the toilet seat, the free end of said arm being attached in supporting relationship to said tray, said tray being movable upon pivoted movement of said arm between operative and concealed positions, the under side of the toilet seat being recessed for the reception of said arm and tray, resilient means normally retaining said tray in concealed position, and an operator connected thereto for swinging said tray to operative position, said operator comprising a Bowden wire carried by said seat and including latch means for retaining said tray in operative position.

11. A toilet seat having a central opening and recess at its under side open at the inner side of the seat, a supporting arm, pivot means connecting one end of said arm for swinging movement in a plane parallel to said seat, a pouring tray carried by the other end of said arm, said tray being movable upon swinging movement of said arm between a concealed position in said recess and an operative position below the level of said seat and in registry with the opening in the seat.

WILLIAM BERNARD PAINTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Number Name Date 102,877 Stockton May 10, 1870 122,741 Sullivan Jan. 16, 1872 187,270 Hanel Feb. 13, 1877 1,076,886 Horr Oct. 28, 1913 Beaver Apr. 11, 1939 

